Kayani says Gilani’s criticisms ‘divisive’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief is furious with the prime minister for statements criticising the army and has demanded that they be clarified or withdrawn, a senior military source told Reuters on Saturday.

“The army chief complained to the president about the prime minister’s statements, and said they needed to be either clarified or withdrawn,” the source told Reuters.

“He said such statements were divisive and made the country more vulnerable.”

That tension has raised fears for the stability of the nuclear-armed country and exposed a struggle between the government and the military, which has ousted three civilian governments in coups since independence in 1947 and has ruled the nation for more than half of its history.

There are no signs yet that a coup is being seriously considered, however, reflecting the changed political calculations in Pakistan since civilans took power in 2008.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani this week criticized Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani and the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha for filing court papers in a case involving a mysterious memo that has pitted the military against the civilian government.

In an interview with Chinese media, Gilani said the filings were “unconstitutional,” infuriating the military’s high command, who issued a stern press release.

“There can be no allegation more serious than what the honorable prime minister has levelled,” it said.

“This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country.”

Gilani further infuriated the army on Wednesday by sacking the defence secretary, retired Lieutenant General Naeem Khalid Lodhi, for “gross misconduct and illegal action which created misunderstanding” between institutions.

Lodhi was the most senior civil servant responsible for military affairs, a post usually seen as the military’s main advocate in the civilian bureaucracy.

As angry as Kayani is, the source said, the council of senior military commanders is even more angry, the source said.

“There is a lot of pressure by the main corps commanders on the army chief regarding the statements of the prime minister.” the source said.

The military, which sets foreign and security policies, drew rare public criticism after US special forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in a raid in May 2011, an act seen by many Pakistanis as a violation of sovereignty.

Pakistanis rallied behind the military after a November 26 cross-border Nato air attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on the frontier with Afghanistan, driving ties with Washington to their lowest point in years.

The army’s fury is cause for serious concern for the civilian government, and Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari went on a charm offensive on Saturday.

“Our government and parliament, and above all our patriotic people, have stood fully behind our brave armed forces and security personnel,” Gilani said at a cabinet defence committee meeting also attended by Kayani.

“It has been my government’s policy to allow and enable all state institutions to play their role in their respective domains,” he added.

Earlier, Zardari met Kayani in a similar attempt to mend fences.

“The current security situation was discussed,” a presidential spokesman said, without giving any details.

Pakistan’s politicians and media pundits have been abuzz with rumours of a possible coup since the memo controversy erupted in October.

The disputed memo – allegedly from Zardari’s government, seeking US help in reining in the generals – has pushed relations between the civilian leadership and the military, to their lowest point since the last military coup in 1999.

The latest crisis also troubles Washington, which wants smooth ties between civilian and military leaders so that Pakistan can help efforts to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan, a top priority for President Barack Obama.

Gilani’s office denied a report on Friday that the prime minister this week called the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, expressing concerns that the army might be about to mount a coup, and asking for London to support the government.

An official at the high commission also denied the report.

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Gilani talks up harmony with army at DCC

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to defuse tension between the civilian government and the nation’s powerful military, whose relations are at their lowest since 1999, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani struck a conciliatory tone with the army chief at a defence committee meeting on Saturday.

“Our government and parliament, and above all our patriotic people, have stood fully behind our brave armed forces and security personnel,” said the prime minister.

“It has been my government’s policy to allow and enable all state institutions to play their role in their respective domains,” he added.

Gilani said that Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.

He was addressing the meeting of Defence Committee of the Cabinet which was held here at Prime Minister House under his chairmanship.

The meeting was attended by Senior Minister for Industries and Defence Productions, Minister for Defence, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, Interior Minister, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of Army Staff, Air Chief, Naval Chief, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Director General of Intelligence Bureau.

“It has been our consistent endeavour to safeguard Pakistan’s supreme national interests in a most effective and inclusive manner,” said the prime minister.

He said terrorism and the continued strife and conflict in Afghanistan have impacted directly and severely on Pakistan.

He said thousands of people and officers and soldiers of the armed forces and security personnel fell victim to terror and militancy.

“We have achieved notable success in dealing with the menace of terrorism and we have done so in our national interest,” he said.

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No compromise on sovereignty of Pakistan: PM Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has reiterated that there would be no compromise on the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan and that patriotic citizens are standing behind Pakistan Army, FTNews reported.

The prime minister said this while chairing Defence Committee of Cabinet (DCC) meeting here Saturday. PM Gilani said armed forces are vital pillar of the national security.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Finance Minister and Information Minister attended the meeting.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Khalid Shameem Wynne, COAS General Ashfaq Pervaz Kayani and Naval chief and Chief of the Air Staff also participated in the meeting.

It is the first meeting of the DCC in which the civilian and military leadership are sitting together amid the ongoing tension between the government and the army and try to come out of the tense situation.

Political observers are of the view the DCC would defuse the ongoing tension that started with the emergence of memogate and further aggravated with the sacking of the Defense Secretary Lt General (Retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi on alleged violation of rules and business while submitting the reply to the Supreme Court on memogate.

The prime minister’s interview to a Chinese online newspaper further aggravated the impression of tense relations between the civilian and military leadership and the ISPR issued a clarification on it.

Gilani said terrorism in Afghanistan is directly affecting Pakistan. To protect the interests of Pakistan is the top priority, the prime minister said and added that that interest and sovereignty of the country is supreme. 'Every step would be taken to strengthen the institutions', he said.

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President Zardari, General Kayani meet

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani met on Saturday, FTNews reported. The meeting was held on the request of the army chief.

Television reports said the two discussed the memo scandal and issues related to national security.

Sources told FTNews that the meeting between the army chief and the president lasted for over an hour.

Sources said General Kayani told the president that he had reservations over Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statements in a Chinese daily regarding the replies submitted by the army chief and DG ISI in the memo case.

The military chief reportedly requested the president to direct the premier to retract his statements made to the newspaper.

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Malik denies negotiations with militants

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday denied that any negotiations were taking place between the government and the militants, FTNews reported.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the interior minister said that the militants have again resorted to targeting security forces.

“We will not negotiate with these militants until they agree to disarm themselves,” he said.

Answering a question about Mansoor Ijaz, Malik said that Ijaz would be issued a visa according to the law when he applies for one.

“The people know who he (Mansoor Ijaz) conspired with to bring down Benazir Bhutto’s government,” remarked the interior minister.

Malik said drone attacks had started during former president Pervez Musharraf’s rule, adding that the US had not halted drone strikes despite the current government’s efforts.

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Militants, suicide bombers attack DI Khan police station

PESHAWAR: Armed militants on Saturday attacked the DPO’s office in Dera Ismail Khan.

According to police, eight to ten militants attacked the police station using hand grenades and rockets. An exchange of fire was being reported between security personnel and the attackers.

Interior minister Rehman Malik said several people including police and civilians were wounded.

“Terrorists attacked security forces,” he told reporters.

Police sources said two of the attackers were dressed in police uniforms.

The attackers targeted the main police station in Dera Ismail Khan City, provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told journalists.

The body of a suicide bomber was lying at the gate of the police station, he said. Two other militants were also dead.

Police spokesman Mohammad Hanif said police shot dead two militants and at least one other blew himself up.

About half a dozen militants stormed the station located in a sensitive area housing government offices, district courts and lawyers’ offices, he said.

They hurled hand grenades and opened fire on the office of district police chief, he said.

Authorities summoned army and paramilitary troops and commandos ringed the area, police said.

The neighbouring offices were also evacuated, and forces started an operation.

Initial reports suggest that the attackers entered the building from the back using a ladder.

Four dead bodies have been shifted to a hospital. Three of them are suspected to be from North Waziristan and the police are suspecting that they might be the militants who attacked the office.

K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar said that the attackers were probably planning the attack since the past 15 days, but nothing can be said unless the official statements are released.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik, commending the security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that there should be a “force within the force” to provide complete security to their convoys.

Talking to the media in Rawalpindi, Malik said that the Taliban are now targeting the people who provide security, and added that there will no talks with them unless they give up their weapons.

“I still invite them for talks, but not with arms and ammunition… Who would want to talk to murderers?” he said.

Security sources said that two policemen were injured in the firing. They claimed to have killed three potential suicide bombers in retaliation.

According to initial reports, two dead bodies have been retrieved from the DPO office after the clearance operation. Reports suggest that the bombers did not detonate themselves, but their explosives went off when the police fired at them.

Our correspondent reported that at least two dead bodies were retrieved from the DPO office after the clearance operation.

An eyewitness told that he saw at least three dead bodies. He said that they were not wearing the police uniform, but it was still not known whether they were police officials, attackers or civilians.

The DPO office has been cleared and the people stuck inside the building have been rescued by the security officials.

They also claimed that there were five militants who stormed the police station wearing police uniforms.

Security personnel have taken charge of the DPO office.

Three terrorists have been killed in the encounter.

In November last year, two police officers were killed — including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) — and three others were injured when militants carrying rocket propelled grenades and other heavy arms attacked a police station in DI Khan.

“This police station was our target and our Mujahideens have carried out this attack,” the TTP’s main spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, had told reporters. “We accept responsibility for the attack”.

Circuit House, the PTCL office, all courts and the high court are located in the area surrounding the DPO office.

All roads leading up to the DPO office have been sealed.

Two men were reported to have detonated themselves after they attacked the office using hand grenades.

A Taliban militant and his wife had carried out a suicide bombing on a police station in DI Khan on June 25, 2011. Around 12 policemen were killed in the attack which lasted for several hours.

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Another controversy brews over Gilani’s alleged phone call

ISLAMABAD: Another Memo-like fiasco reared its head on Friday as media reports alleged that, sometime this week, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had telephoned British High Commissioner Adam Thomson expressing fears that the army might stage a coup.

The PM House, however, issued a prompt rebuttal, followed by a contradiction by Thomson himself.

Denial or not, the reports have already sent the rumour mills churning and could potentially worsen already adverse relations between the military and the government.

The premier has been talking to various political leaders and diplomats about potential threats to his administration, a close associate of the prime minister told FTNews. “He did discuss issues pertaining to the ongoing rivalry between the civilian and military leadership with close associates and political allies on a number of occasions over the last couple of weeks,” the PM’s aide said, adding however, that he wasn’t certain if Prime Minister Gilani had spoken to the British High Commissioner regarding the issue.

Within minutes of the media quoting an Associated Press report, the PM House issued a flat out denial: “PM Gilani has not spoken to Thomson in this regard. The AP story is completely unfounded,” adding, “The democratic government, led by PM Gilani, draws its strength from the people of Pakistan – not from foreign powers.”

A prompt rebuttal also came from Thomson’s office, with his spokesperson issuing a statement saying, “The story regarding a recent telephone call between Thomson and PM Gilani is untrue. There has been no such call.”

British Foreign Minister William Hague refrained from commenting on the news report, but he did advise the country’s civilian and military leadership to avoid a clash.

Over the last few weeks, Prime Minister Gilani began lobbying against the armed forces and was reportedly discussing some “sensitive information” with diplomats and politicians in Islamabad and Multan, sources alleged, adding that the premier had also engaged a legal team to keep a close eye on the latest developments from the Supreme Court and the GHQ.

The PM was eager to get his hands on some inside information on the corps commanders’ and principal staff officers’ recent conference held at the GHQ, chaired by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, and then later discussed the details with President Asif Ali Zardari, his legal team and political allies, a source claimed.

“He still fears major changes before the Senate elections on March 2,” the source added.

Associated Press, a US state owned news agency, published a news item regarding a telephonic conversation between Premier Yusuf Raza Gillani and British High Commissioner Adam Thomson to convey his message to the British govt to support his embattled administration in-case of a possible military coup.

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Like the country, army supports PTI, says Imran

WASHINGTON: In his first appearance at a Washington-based think tank after the Lahore and Karachi rallies, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Friday that there was support for his party within the army.

Addressing an audience via videoconference at the Atlantic Council, Imran first appeared on screen eating rice and sipping from a cup, perhaps unaware that the audience could see him.

About the war on terror, Imran said it was important to win the hearts and minds of the people in the tribal areas, adding that everyone carries a gun in the area. He said that earlier Pakistan did not have Taliban. “It took two years of military operations from 2004 to 2006 and collateral damage that created the Pakistani Taliban.”

The discussion, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, focused primarily on the war in the region, and Pakistan’s economic situation.

Regarding the subject of Pakistan-US relations, Imran said the US “should make friends with the people of Pakistan, not with a specific government”. Citing an example of Washington’s relationship with India, Imran said the US has a relationship with Indian democracy, not with any political party.

The Atlantic Council’s South Asia Centre Director Shuja Nawaz, quoting a question he had been asked to convey from someone on the Hill, asked why there was no outrage in Pakistan when militants attack and behead members of the military. In response, Imran said there was outrage, but, in terms of the war, there is also despondency.

Quoting Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani from his briefing at the all-party conference in September last year, Imran said the army chief had told them there were 5,000 to 8,000 Haqqani network fighters, however, the area had 350,000 residents, and if a military operation was carried out there, it would lead to collateral damage. Imran said Gen Kayani had also told political parties that the army had done its job and it was up to the politicians to work towards a political solution.

Imran added that the country had become increasingly polarised, and cited the example of Javed Ghamdi, who he called Pakistan’s most respected Islamic scholar, who had to leave the country as a result of threats.

Questions from the audience to the PTI leader focused mainly on Pakistan’s dismal economic situation. Imran said that his party would soon be holding a conference on Pakistan’s economy and coming out with policy papers.

Speaking on the subject of nuclear armaments, Imran said it was his personal wish to see a world free of nuclear arms, adding that in Pakistan’s case, they acted as deterrents, but suggested safeguards be implemented along the India-Pakistan border. Imran said he did not believe that the nuclear weapons would fall into the “wrong hands”.

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Wavering allies: Govt still short on numbers

ISLAMABAD: For all the confidence in the premier’s speech, the ruling party does not yet have the support it needs to pass the “pro-democracy” resolution tabled in parliament by its ally, the Awami National Party (ANP) – forget any other possible moves against the army.

Despite toning down the rhetoric against the military and the judiciary in the resolution, the party is still unsure of complete support from its two largest coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

The PML-Q is making the right noises, saying it will ‘definitely’ support the resolution, but adds in the same breath that it will not be a part of any move against the armed forces.

The MQM is irked at being ‘ignored’ by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and said the government did not share the draft of the resolution before tabling it.

Irked MQM

“We are yet to decide if we will support the resolution or not,” said MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi.

“But on the floor of the house, we did not oppose the resolution and amended it just to stay away from confrontation with the state’s institutions,” he added.

Party’s senior leader Wasay Jalil lamented being handed in the draft at the eleventh hour. Despite that, the party is pouring over the content of the resolution, he said.

“We are going to hold a meeting on Monday before the assembly session and will discuss what would be the party’s line of action,” Jalil said while talking to FTNews.

Jalil also hit out at PPP for ignoring its allies, ‘especially the MQM.’

It is our longstanding issue with the government that they should take their allies into confidence prior to taking important decisions, but that it doesn’t is quite clear from the recent decisions, Jalil said.

If there was no urgency, the prime minister should have talked to our leadership regarding such important decisions as sacking the defence secretary and assertions against the army and intelligence chiefs for violating the Constitution, he added.

Jalil said it’s understandable why the premier keeps altering his statements regarding the submission of replies by the armed forces to the apex court in the memo case.

“It’s frustrating for everyone that even within the prime minister’s legal team there is a difference of opinion over the submission of replies. The attorney general believes the military is right,” he added.

Backing the armed forces

Both coalition partners agree on one thing though – the government should not confront the armed forces.

“President Zardari called Altaf Bhai [the MQM chief] a couple of days ago to get an endorsement, and Altaf Bhai gave him a clear guideline that the government should not repeat the mistake of confronting institutions,” Jalil said.

“The government should also dispel the impression that it is provoking the armed forces for an intervention,” he added.

Jalil said the MQM believes the military is working within its ambit and their apparent intentions don’t seem wrong since they are just trying to safeguard the national interest.

“Armed forces are the guardians of the territory and their intent cannot be doubted at all,” Jalil added.

The MQM is not the only cautious partner. The PML-Q, which claims it played an important role in toning down the PPP’s proposed draft of the resolution, says it will support it, but will not support any move against the military.

“PML-Q definitely supports the resolution, which is pro-democracy and aims at stabilising the democratic system in the country,” PML-Q leader Kamil Ali Agha said.

He added that the party’s chairman Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is in close contacts with the army and the PPP leadership to reconcile the disputes.

At the same time, Shujaat has made it clear to the government that the PML-Q will not be part of any move against the armed forces,” Agha said.

He added that the military is working within its ambit and has no ill intent to derail democracy.

President returns, meets ANP chief

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari arrived home from Dubai early Friday, after a brief visit to attend a wedding, Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told AFP.

He was called on by the ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan who presented the resolution in the National Assembly earlier on Friday.

A brief statement issued by the presidency stated that the current political situation and coalition matters were discussed during the meeting. Sources, however, said the leadership of the two allies deliberated on plans to muster maximum support for the resolution.

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President will have immunity in Switzerland, says Aitzaz

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan on Saturday said that President Asif Ali Zardari would have immunity in Switzerland also, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives in Lahore, Ahsan said Article 248 of the Constitution did not allow any court to initiate proceedings against the president.

The PPP leader moreover said that he was not acting as a mediator between the executive and the judiciary or between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).

Ahsan further said that if the prime minister or the president were to be removed constitutionally, no harm would come to democracy.

Regarding the court’s order on the NRO implementation case, Ahsan said the government had not been given six options, it had, in fact, been told that the court could use all the six options listed in the order.

Responding to a question regarding the defence secretary’s sacking, the PPP leader said Khalid Naeem Lodhi could approach the courts to challenge his termination.

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Two former officials held by NAB

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday arrested former secretary Establishment Division Ismael Qureshi and former additional director general Ahmad Riaz Sheikh, informed sources told FTNews.

Mr Qureshi was secretary when Adnan A. Khwaja, a matriculate, was appointed chairman Oil and Gad Development Company reportedly on the verbal orders of the prime minister.

Mr Sheikh was detained for being a beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that has been declared null and void by the Supreme Court.

The SC bench had recently directed NAB to probe the appointment of a matriculate as OGDCL chief and re-open the cases closed under the now defunct NRO.

The sources said that warrants had been issued against several other accused and more arrests were expected in the next couple of days.

The warrants were issued by the NAB offices in Rawalpindi and Lahore against those who had benefited from the NRO and some others on the court’s direction.

According to a source, Mr Khwaja and some others voluntarily appeared before the NAB authorities.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court during the hearing of the NRO judgment implementation case last week had expressed annoyance over the statement of a NAB official that Mr Khwaja’s appointment did not fall within the purview of NAB as its role was to act against misuse of official authority.

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US officials, experts rule out coup

WASHINGTON: The US State Department has once again made it clear that the Obama administration backs the Zardari government in the conflict between the civil and military establishments and that it is trying to hold direct talks with the Taliban without involving Islamabad.

A day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made these points in a news briefing at her office, the department’s spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters that the US would continue to support the current democratic set-up in Pakistan.

Ms Nuland noted that Secretary Clinton had made “very, very clearly… our hopes for our relationship with Pakistan as well as our views in support of democratic governance and good dialogue inside Pakistan”.

Asked if US special envoy Marc Grossman, who leaves Washington next week for talks in Afghanistan and Qatar about reconciliation with the Taliban, would also visit Islamabad, she said: “He is not travelling to Pakistan on this particular trip.”

On Thursday, Secretary Clinton said the US was standing “strongly in favour of a democratically-elected civilian government” and urged both civilian and military authorities to resolve these internal issues “in a just and transparent manner that upholds the Pakistan laws and constitution”.

“The US has a deep interest in seeing civilian democracy succeed in Pakistan. A robust and vibrant democracy can help prevent extremists from gaining ground and destabilising the state,” said Lisa Curtis, a Pakistan expert at Washington’s Heritage Foundation.

“If the Zardari government is forced to leave office before its term expires, this will be a setback to democracy in Pakistan and demonstrate the army still wields tremendous power. While the Zardari government is far from perfect, it is an elected government, and its premature dismissal will send a negative signal that civilian rule has not fully taken root in Pakistan,” she warned.

The official Voice of America radio also noted that in this civil-military conflict, the Obama administration was backing the civilian government.

CNN noted that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s scheduled meeting with his top military commanders on Saturday “provides Mr Gilani with an opportunity to dial back tensions with his defence chiefs”.

The tensions, which came to surface during the so-called memogate scandal, escalated after the PM fired Defence Secretary Naeem Khalid Lodhi for alleged “gross misconduct and illegal action”.

Muhammed Akram Shaheedi, the prime minister’s spokesman, told CNN that all service chiefs would attend the meeting, including the chief of the army, as well as the ministers of interior, defence and information.

The Washington Post noted that President Asif Ali Zardari’s return to Pakistan in less than 24 hours after he had arrived in Dubai had helped quash rumours of a possible military coup.

“It is widely accepted that the army, led by Gen Ashfaq Kayani, has no appetite for a coup. Nor does the public or Pakistan’s vibrant media, although the government is unpopular with both,” the newspaper noted. “The military, in fact, has strived to emphasise its preference for a solution sanctioned by the Supreme Court, an institution that some analysts say is on a warpath against the government.”

The New York Times, however, reported that some opposition politicians and analysts in Pakistan were accusing the government of trying to create the current acrimony as a strategy. “The government has nothing to show to the people and its performance is all marred with corruption and mismanagement,” said former senator Enver Baig.

Other US media outlets noted that although Mr Zardari remained widely unpopular and was still seen as “a very corrupt” ruler, neither the military nor the Supreme Court was in a position to force him out. The military, the reports claimed, was “in a position of political isolation”, which was forcing it to show “uncharacteristic restraint”.

“For all the headlines about the prospect of another coup, an army takeover looks unlikely any time soon,” noted another report.

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